Many people enjoy pets. Unfortunately, pets frequently need to urinate and defecate, which creates a mess that someone must clean up. Pets are often trained to perform their bodily functions on a given surface, such as a newspaper. Unfortunately, someone must still dispose of the soiled newspaper or other surface. This can be difficult, as many surfaces disintegrate when they get wet. Moreover, if the newspaper or other surface is not lifted correctly, urine or feces can fall out and onto the floor. The corners or edges of these surfaces are often covered in urine or feces, making it unavoidable that the individual charged with disposing of the mess must come into contact with a soiled portion of the surface.